Don't buy Beats' Bluetooth speaker this Black Friday – this JBL speaker is the deal I'd buy myself

There are some really good Black Friday Bluetooth speaker deals out there, delivering massive savings – such as 41% off the most recent version of the Beats Pill speaker, down from £149.99 to £89 on Amazon UK, or 45% off the JBL Flip 6, down from £129 to £72. But there's an even better deal on the Bluetooth speaker I'd actually buy: Amazon UK is currently offering the JBL Flip 7 for £79.99, down from £129.99.

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I wondered whether this listing was a mistake, because it's not showing up on JBL's Amazon page or in Amazon's Black Friday listings. But it's definitely real, and available in some (but not all) colours: the Blue and Black models are £79.99, while other colours are £98 or £99.

I suspect these speakers will sell out fast, because this is an exceptionally low price for what we think is the best portable Bluetooth speaker you can buy today.

Today's best Black Friday JBL Flip 7 deals

Save 38% (£50)

JBL Flip 7: was £129.99 now £79.99 at Amazon

The JBL Flip 7 is our current pick of the best portable Bluetooth speakers thanks to its punchy sound, top-tier toughness and useful app. It can survive 30 minutes in 1.5m of water, it's pretty much drop-proof, and it sounds pretty great. It's a superb speaker. For only a tiny amount more than the previous Flip 6, you should absolutely get the new and improved version.

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Save 27% ($40)

JBL Flip 7: was $149.95 now $109.95 at Amazon

If you're in the US, sadly the Flip 7 deals aren't as good. This is the lowest price so far for it, don't get me wrong – but it's not like the blockbuster UK deal. Still, it's a fantastic speaker for this price.

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Why I'd buy the JBL Flip 7 over the Beats Pill

The JBL and the Beats are very similar speakers, and they're both good buys – especially at Black Friday deal prices.

But I think the JBL has the edge in some areas that really matter to me, and the most important of those areas is its EQ: with the Beats Pill you're stuck with its default sound, but the JBL's EQ is customisable via the app.

That's useful for everything, of course, but I think it's particularly handy for podcasts and audiobooks: some male voices are so deep that rolling off some of the low end makes them much more listenable. And it's handy to go the other way if you're listening to tinny lo-fi music or older music.

There are other differences too. The Flip is marginally smaller and a little bit lighter, and I prefer its carrying attachment to the long lanyard of the Beats speaker. It's more water resistant – IP68 to the Pill's IP67 – and I like its buttons better. It has Auracast for speaker sociability, and until it sells out, it's £10 cheaper. Taking all these things together I think JBL has the Beats... beat.

Today's best deals on the other speakers here

Save 41% (£60.99)

Beats Pill: was £149.99 now £89 at Amazon

The Beats Pill does have the edge over the JBL in some respects: it's arguably better looking, it's better in the bass department and it has longer battery life too. It also has a microphone for making calls, something the JBL lacks. We like it a lot… but we prefer the Flip.

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JBL Flip 6: was £129.99 now £72 at Amazon

If the Flip 7 sells out, take a look at the Black Friday deal on the JBL Flip 6: it's still a really great portable speaker, so if you don't need Auracast or the upgraded water protection – the Flip 6 has IP67, the same as the Beats Pill – it's an excellent buy, but not if you can pay £9 more for the new one. This deal is only available on selected colours.

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Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion